weekends used to be such quiet, little things. when we first came out here and seemed to have a handle on things, we occasionally went to a movie and/or out to dinner, but that was pretty much it. saxy and i were generally tired from working all week, so a lot of activity wasn't anything we wanted. holidays tended to get busier since we couldn't do our holiday stuff during the week, but even then it tended to mostly be at home things like baking with the occasional run to the store for something. shopping has almost always been done online (no one really wanted to brave the craziness in the stores), so still it was pretty quiet on the weekends. busy in their own way, but quiet.
since kitten has come home, the weekend has taken on a whole different feeling. someone is always coming by, she's going out every day and at least one night every weekend. and now she's getting us involved -- we've had dinner out twice in the past week, and breakfast out once. AND we've gone by walmart a couple of times...as a group. today we quested for vanilla spice eggnog and jeans for froggy (which she paid for with her birthday money from grandma). we also had two of kitten's friends with us rather than just the usual one. it's been exhausting for me, but saxy seems to be doing okay with it, which is amazing, considering how much he actually dislikes having people over. but the oldest seems determined that we become at least a little more social than we have been.
i have to admit, i've not been as social with my neighbors as i would have been ten years ago. living in a gang zone for a half dozen years or so tends to reduce the desire to be social -- no one wants to associate with the wrong people just in case that lands a gun in your face. our old neighborhood was far from safe, so it was just best to stay indoors and not get too close to anyone. it also hasn't helped that saxy is generally a very private person. when we married, i had to discontinue my open door policy for my friends because he can't handle changes in routine without warning. and, yes, the kids do blame him some for me being less social than they remember being when they were younger. but i understand saxy's need for warning so he can prepare for changes. it's all part and parcel of being disabled. taz is much the same way.
so it's been very surprising that saxy grumbles about these friends of kitten's coming over, and then...deals with it very well. he's even invited jewel's fiancé to bring his kids over when they visit in a week or so. i was very surprised by that, but also very pleased. and he actually seems to be enjoying spending time with kittens army friends. lately, i get overwhelmed more quickly than her does, but then i'm dealing with other issues right now too.
this weekend had the added craziness of trying to get our cookie boxes ready. kitten has a friend who is visiting this weekend and who would need his box by tomorrow, so the whole cookie baking time had to be compressed to make sure his box was covered before he leaves. we went out to breakfast this morning (and i'll be honest, enjoyment is part of the reason we go, but i also look at it as one less meal we have to take care of from our own food stores which are pathetic) and then came home to bake. while kitten, froggy, and i baked (with baby cat looking on), the boys all went outside to take care of our yard which was blanketed in leaves. now, this is the first time the boys have worked when out here, but we certainly weren't going to turn them down. and now that the cookies are done, dinner has been had (again, a treat paid for by the friends), and kids are in bed, kitten is off to spend some time out with them.
it's been a busy day. tomorrow? laundry and lord knows what else. weekends have become these hubs of noise and activity. it's crazy. since becoming more introverted in r.l., i've always appreciated the quiet moments of the day when i can get work done without constant interruption from a kid or the husband. now those moments are havens for me.
in a way, it's kind of sad to see how unsocial i've become over the years. on the other, just watching my daughter go through one day on the weekend is exhausting. crazy is better suited for the young and healthy.
holiday crazy is about all i can take any more. even if i manage to get my stamina and strength back from all the stuff earlier this year, holiday crazy will pretty much be my limit. weekend crazy is just too much. fun for a bit, but too much over the long run.
i think i'm going to crash now. today has been long and exhausting, and tomorrow hints at more of the same. weekend crazy...how long before a weekday again?
